Question 1

Where does my host deliver the car in Kozani?

Accepted Answer

Most Sync hosts deliver to your hotel or any address in the city. Kozani has no airport: the nearest are Kastoria (KSO, 55km west) and Thessaloniki (SKG, 100km northeast). If you're arriving by air at either, your host can arrange delivery to you there, or you can pick up in Kozani after traveling by road. If you're arriving by bus, your host can meet you at the KTEL station. Agree on the exact time and location when you book. Your host will confirm before arrival.

Question 2

What is the saffron from Kozani and why is it considered special?

Accepted Answer

The village of Krokos, 10km northwest of Kozani, produces what is known as Kozani saffron or Greek red saffron, one of the most prized varieties in the world. The area grows about 70% of all saffron produced in Greece and a significant share of European production. It has EU Protected Designation of Origin status.

Saffron comes from the dried stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower. Each flower produces three stigmas, harvested by hand, and it takes roughly 150,000 flowers to produce 1kg of saffron, which is why it is the most expensive spice by weight. The Krokos harvest happens in October-November, when the purple crocus flowers bloom for just 2-3 weeks. During harvest season the fields turn purple, and the cooperative processes the dried stigmas in the village.

What makes Kozani saffron specifically valued: the combination of soil, altitude (about 700m), and climate produces stigmas with high concentrations of crocin (the pigment, responsible for color), picrocrocin (responsible for flavor), and safranal (responsible for aroma). These are the three compounds that determine saffron quality, and Kozani consistently scores high on all three.

Question 3

What is Lake Polyfytos and what is the story of the submerged church tower?

Accepted Answer

Lake Polyfytos is an artificial reservoir 20km south of Kozani, created in the 1970s by damming the Aliakmonas river, the longest river that flows entirely within Greece. The lake covers about 74 sq km and is one of the largest bodies of water in Greece.

When the valley was flooded, several villages were submerged, along with their churches, houses, and fields. Most structures are now entirely underwater. One exception is the bell tower of the church of Agios Nikolaos from the village of Velvendos (the village itself was relocated higher up the hill before the flooding). In normal water levels, this tower stands isolated in the lake, rising several meters above the surface, surrounded by open water with no land visible nearby. It looks like something that should not be there, which is exactly the effect.

The tower is most dramatically visible from the shore near Rymnio village, 20km south of Kozani via a direct road. In years of drought when water levels drop, more of the tower and sometimes the walls of submerged buildings become visible. In high-water years, only the upper section shows.

The lake shore itself is undeveloped and quiet: rocky beaches, clear water, good fishing. The Aliakmonas valley scenery is dramatic, with mountains on both sides of the lake. Worth an hour's detour from Kozani, especially combined with the Siatista drive, which passes through similar landscape on the way back.

Question 4

What is Siatista and why do its mansions survive when so many others in northern Greece don't?

Accepted Answer

Siatista is a small town 30km northeast of Kozani, set on a hillside at about 900m. It was one of the wealthiest towns in the Ottoman Balkans during the 17th and 18th centuries, built on trade wealth, particularly in furs and leather goods, with merchant families who maintained networks across Central Europe, Vienna, Venice, and the Black Sea ports.

The mansions they built, called arhontika, are among the finest preserved examples of late Ottoman-era secular architecture in Greece. Unlike most of northern Greece, Siatista escaped both the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars and the 20th century destruction relatively intact. Several mansions have been restored and opened to visitors: the Poulkidis mansion, the Nerantzis mansion, and others nearby each have distinctive painted interiors, carved wooden ceilings, and hidden rooms (for concealing valuables or family members during raids). The painted wall decorations combine local folk motifs with European Baroque influences brought back by the traveling merchants.

Siatista is 30km from Kozani, about 35 minutes on a regional road through the mountains. The town itself is small and the mansion quarter is walkable in 2-3 hours. Opening hours vary by season; some mansions are open only in summer and on weekends in shoulder season. Check locally before making the trip the primary purpose of the day. Combined with the Polyfytos lake detour on the way back to Kozani, it makes a comfortable full day out from the city.

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Frequently asked questions about car rental in Kozani

Where does my host deliver the car in Kozani?

What is the saffron from Kozani and why is it considered special?

What is Lake Polyfytos and what is the story of the submerged church tower?

What is Siatista and why do its mansions survive when so many others in northern Greece don't?

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